Suffolk Poll: Markey Ahead by 10

Michael Warren

June 24, 2013 12:27 PM

In the final poll from Suffolk University before Tuesday's special election, Democratic congressman Ed Markey leads Republican Gabriel Gomez in the race for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts by 10 points. In the survey of 500 likely voters at the end of last week, 52 percent support Markey while 42 percent support Gomez. Here's more:

“These numbers suggest that tomorrow night Ed Markey will make the transformation from congressman to senator-elect,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center in Boston. “All eyes will be watching to see how Markey’s final vote tally stacks up against Elizabeth Warren’s eight-point win over Scott Brown last November.”

The bellwether areas of Lowell, Dartmouth and South Hadley all point to a big win for Markey as well. In Lowell, Markey leads 49 percent to 38 percent; in Dartmouth his lead is 52 percent to 37 percent; and in South Hadley the lead is 51 percent to 37 percent.

As Suffolk notes, the towns of Lowell, Dartmouth, and South Hadley all correctly predicted that Republican Scott Brown would beat Democrat Martha Coakley in the state's special Senate election in 2010.

Markey, a 37-year veteran of the House, has led the newcomer Gomez in every poll taken in the brief campaign. According to Real Clear Politics's poll average, Markey bests Gomez by an more than 12 points.

Markey and Gomez are vying for the Senate seat formerly held by Democrat John Kerry, who was appointed secretary of state earlier this year.